Malaysia Must Learn From Thailand, Indonesia To Improve Para Asiad Performance

KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 25 (Bernama) -- Malaysia must learn from Thailand and Indonesia’s strategies to improve its competitiveness at the next Asian Para Games after finishing 12th at the recently concluded Aichi-Nagoya edition with six golds, eight silvers and 13 bronzes.

Paralympic Council of Malaysia (PCM) president Megat D Shahriman Zaharudin said the two neighbouring countries managed to finish among the top 10, setting a benchmark for the national contingent.

“We achieved our six-gold target. Although our contingent was small, we still managed to meet the target and record an outstanding achievement.

“I believe Malaysia still need to compete with Thailand and Indonesia, who finished among the top 10. Maybe their larger contingents helped them achieve those positions. We also need to learn from their formula and strategies,” he said.

He said this during a press conference on the contingent’s performance at the 2026 Aichi-Nagoya Asian Para Games, which concluded yesterday after seven days of competition.

The national contingent comprised 68 athletes who competed in 94 events across 10 of the 18 sports contested, making it Malaysia’s smallest contingent at the Para Asian Games so far.

Malaysia’s six gold medals came from five sports, with two of them won in para athletics.

Thailand finished seventh with 19 golds, 40 silvers and 66 bronzes, while Indonesia were eighth with a 15-21-37 medal haul, with the two countries winning gold medals in eight and six sports respectively.

China dominated the 2026 Aichi-Nagoya Asian Para Games with a 207-117-111 medal haul, well ahead of second-placed Japan (64-60-62) and third-placed Uzbekistan (45-49-51).

-- BERNAMA